Web tensioner and guide system

ABSTRACT

A system of counter-balanced wheels, mounted for lateral and vertical pivoted adjustment and mounted for lateral, longitudinal and lineal adjustment with respect to a web to be contacted by said wheels.

United States Patent [1 1 Pepper Aug. 7, 1973 1 WEB TENSIONER AND GUIDE SYSTEM 2,461,376 2 1949 Feldmeier 226/187 x 3,233,807 2/1966 Wray 1 226/180 [76] Inventor: Orlyn G. Pepper, 355 Everett, 3 643 791 2 1972 Th b 3 Milan, Mich. 48160 oms ery.... 226/19 [22] Filed: 1972 Primary Examiner-Richard A. Schacher [21] Appl. N0.: 218,227 Attorney-Edward M. Apple [52] US. Cl 226/174, 226/180, 226/190 51 Int. Cl B65h 23/16 [57] ABSTRACT [58] Field of Seal-d; 58? 2 A system of counter-balanced wheels, mounted for lat- 2 6/18 l 1 1 2 l6 eral and vertical pivoted adjustment and mounted for References Cited lateral, longitudinal and lineal adjustment with respect U NITED STATES PATENTS Buccicone 226/ 1 80 to a web to be contacted by said wheels.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures WEB TENSIONER AND GUIDE SYSTEM This invention relates to the tensioning and guiding, of a web of material as it moves over support members, such as a table, or a plurality of support rollers, or the like.

One use of-the invention is in the making of comparatively thin filter material, which is deposited in heated, paste, or liquid form, on a moving, continuous web of other material, which carries the filter material through a zone for cooling, drying and disposal.

In the art, as presently practiced, the continuous web is gripped along the edges of spring-loaded rollers, which have to be mounted outside of the cooling and drying area, or require cut outs in the table to permit mounting of the rollers. The present practice leaves much to be desired because it is difficult, if not impossible, to prevent the formation of wrinkles in, and misalignment of, the web as it advances through the cooling and drying cycles.

It is therefore an object of this invention to obviate the foregoing difficulties and to provide a system for tensioning, guiding and controlling the web, as it advances through the cooling and drying cycles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a system of the character indicated, which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and efficient in operation. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a system of the character indicated, which is self-contained within the cooling and drying zones, which are generally air conditioned and sealed against atmospheric contaminants, dirt, dust and other deliterious substances.

Another object of the invention is to provide a system of the character indicated, which may be adjusted and regulated while the web is in motion, and in which parts may be removed and replaced without the necessity of down time for the entire production assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a system of the character indicated which is so sensitive that a feather touch, or full weight, adjustment may be made on the web, without the necessity of using springs.

Another object of the invention is to provide the wheels with counter-weight arms, which serve to balance the wheels and serve as hand levers for changing the vertical adjustment of the wheels.

Another object of the invention is to provide the wheels with lateral and longitudinal adjustment with reference to the web, with means to firmly lock the elements in adjusted positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide the peripheries of the wheels with spiral configurations, which assist in giving direction to the moving web.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, reference being made from time to time, to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. I is a schematic, side elevational view, with parts broken away, and other parts removed,of a typi cal mechanism, which employs the invention device.

FIG. 2 is a plan view with parts in section, of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1, and taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan detail of one of the wheel assemblies, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. an elongated table, 13,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view, with parts broken away, and showing one of the wheel assemblies in relation to the table, film or web, and the filter material carried thereon.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged elevational view of a modified form of wheel.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, it will be understood that in the embodiment herein disclosed, the reference character 7, indicates in general table, such as used in the plastics industry, to form, support, and cool a sheet of filter material 8, as it comes in paste or liquid form, from a production device (not shown) through a feed pipe 9 and is deposited on amoving web, or film member 10, through a distributor head, or doctor blade 11. The web, or film member 10 is initially carried on a feed roller 12, and passes over smaller rollers 13 14 and I5 and then under the distributor head assembly 11, where it receives a thin coating of plastic, which forms a sheet, of the filter material 8. The web, or film, member 10, then carries the filter sheet 8 over the full length of the table 7, as it is being cooled and dried. At the discharge end of the table 7, the film or web 10, passes over small rollers 16 and I7, and isreclaimed for further use, on a roller 18, which is power driven by any suitable means (not shown), in the direction shown by the arrows (FIGS. 1 & 2).

The filter material 8, when cooled and dried, is separated from the film, or web member 10, by any suitable means (not shown), before the film 10 is reclaimed. The table 7 is supported by members 7A, and is entirely enclosed in an air tight, air conditioned housing 7B, which is preferably made of transparent panels 7C, which are also carried by the supports 7A.

The mechanism just described illustrates a typical use to which the invention device may be applied, and constitutes no part of the invention, except when combined with the device hereinafter described, which also may be used in various other industries.

As the film, or web, member 10, and the filter material 8, move along over the table 7, it is essential that the carrier web, or film 10, be held firmly against the table 7, free from wrinkles, creases, or other deformities, and will be guided in a straight line, so that the filter material 8, will be maintained in its proper thickness, and may readily be separated from the web 10, and so that the web 10 may easily be reclaimed for subsequent use. The materials of the web 10 and the filter 8 are of such different physical, and chemical make up that they are easily separated from each other.

The invention device, which I will now describe in detail, is intended to hold the web and the filter material 8, in proper relation to each other, and in proper relation to the table, the rollers and the distributor head 1 l.

The system embodying the invention consists of a pair of rods 19, and 20, which are positioned along the longitudinal edges of the table 7, and are secured to the table 7 by spaced, mounting blocks 21, which are se cured tothe table 7by means of machine screws 22, or the like. Slideable on the rods 19 and 20 are pairsof bearing blocks 23. Each bearingblock 23 isprovided with a threaded opening for receivinga setscrew '24, so that the bearing blocks 23 may be secured in predetermined positions on the longitudinal .rods 19 and 20. Each bearing block 23 is provided with a transverse bore 25, in which bores 25 are rotatably received the ends of cross rods 26. Although l have shown in FIG. 2 only two cross rods 26, it will be understood that there are a plurality of such cross rods mounted in pairs of the bearing blocks 23, in more or less closely spaced relation, along the rods 19 and 20, depending upon the length of the table 7, and the material being handled on the table.

On each rod 26 is mounted at least two arms 27, which arms are secured to the rods 26, by set screws 28. The arms 27 are bifurcated, as at 29 (FIG. 4), in which bifurcation is received the end of a clevis 30 (FIGS. 3 and 4). Each arm 27 and each clevis 30 has vertical bores, in which are received bolts 31, about which the clevis 30 may pivot. Mounted on a bolt 32, extending through each clevis 30 is a wheel 33. Each wheel 33 is preferably made of rubber, or some other suitable material, which will provide good traction on the film, or web member 10. The peripheries of the wheels 33, may be provided with spirals 34, as shown in FIG. 5, to improve the tensioning effect of the wheels 33, when in contact with the web, or film member 10. Each clevis 30 has a radius 35 at the end (FIG. 3) for receiving the ends of set screws 36, so that the clevises 30 may be held in various degrees of lateral adjustment on the pivot points 31.

The arms 27, the clevises 30, and the wheels 33, are counter balanced on the rods 26, be means of heavy arms 37, which are mounted on the cross rods 26, and secured thereto by set screws 38. The arms 37 may be secured in any position on the rods 26 to effect the proper counter balancing of the wheels. The arms 37 also may be used to rotate the rods 26 in their bearings, so that the wheels may be lifted out of contacting relation with the web, or film member for making adjustments, replacements, and the like.

As previously described, the web or film member 10 is moved along the table 7 from end to end, and is reclaimed on the power driven roller 18. During the travel of the web, or film member 10 over the table, it is held in lateral tension by means of the wheels 33, which are held in contact with the web 10 in a slightly outwardly canted direction. The web or film member 10 is held in longitudinal tension by means of the rollers 12 and 18, which our controlled as to their speed of rotation by suitable brakes, and driving means (not shown).

It is believed that the operation of the device is obvious from the foregoing description.

Having described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A tension and guide system for moving a wide web of material, over an elongated table, comprising a plurality of pivotable wheels contacting the edges of said web and means supporting said wheels arranged to give said wheels vertical, longitudinal, and lateral adjust ment with respect to said web and said table, said supporting means, consisting of at least two longitudinal rods supported along the edges of said table, bearing blocks slideable on said rods, locking means between said bearing blocks and said first named rods, lateral rods rotatable in said bearing blocks, wheel supports pivotably mounted on said lateral rods, and counter weights on said lateral rods.

2. The structure of claim 1, in which each of said wheel supports consists of an arm slideable on one of said lateral rods, locking means coacting between said lateral arm and said rod, said arm being bifurcated, with a clevis pivotably secured in said bifurcation, and a wheel supported in said clevis.

3. The structure of claim 2, in which the in-board end of said clevis is provided with a radius for receiving the ends of set screws, mounted in threaded bores carried in said arm, whereby said clevis may be locked in various positions of lateral adjustment.

4. The structure of claim 1, in which said counter weight is rotatably mounted on said lateral rod and is provided with means to lock it in various positions on said lateral rod.

5. The structure of claim 4, in which said counter weight is in the form of a rectangular arm oppositely disposed to said wheel support arm.

6. The structure of claim 5 in which said counter weight arm also serves as a hand lever, whereby said lateral rod and the parts carried by it may be rotated to reverse position. I V

7. The structure of claim 1, in which said wheels are made of a resilient material and have spiral elements formed on their peripheries. 

1. A tension and guide system for moving a wide web of material, over an elongated table, comprising a plurality of pivotable wheels contacting the edges of said web and means supporting said wheels arranged to give said wheels vertical, longitudinal, and lateral adjustment with respect to said web and said table, said supporting means, consisting of at least two longitudinal rods supported along the edges of said table, bearing blocks slideable on said rods, locking means between said bearing blocks and said first named rods, lateral rods rotatable in said bearing blocks, wheel supports pivotably mounted on said lateral rods, and counter weights on said lateral rods.
 2. The structure of claim 1, in which each of said wheel supports consists of an arm slideable on one of said lateral rods, locking means coacting between said lateral arm and said rod, said arm being bifurcated, with a clevis pivotably secured in said bifurcation, and a wheel supported in said clevis.
 3. The structure of claim 2, in which the in-board end of said clevis is provided with a radius for receiving the ends of set screws, mounted in threaded bores carried in said arm, whereby said clevis may be locked in various positions of lateral adjustment.
 4. The structure of claim 1, in which said counter weight is rotatably mounted on said lateral rod and is provided with means to lock it in various positions on said lateral rod.
 5. The structure of claim 4, in which said counter weight is in the form of a rectangular arm oppositely disposed to said wheel support arm.
 6. The structure of claim 5 in which said counter weight arm also serves as a hand lever, whereby said lateral rod and the parts carried by it may be rotated to reverse position.
 7. The structure of claim 1, in which said wheels are made of a resilient material and have spiral elements formed on their peripheries. 